Frank Patta, general secretary of Volkswagen’s Global Group Works Council, vowed to help the UAW continue to organize workers at the automaker’s plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The UAW lost an election last February by 44 votes after top Tennessee politicians and Republican interest groups helped to sway some workers against the union. The loss stunned the UAW because Volkswagen’s management agreed to be neutral in the election and even seemed to favor UAW representation.

German labor union officials had been working hand-in-hand for about four years before Volkswagen agreed to the election. According to an agreement the UAW signed in January, the union is barred from resuming an organizing campaign in Chattanooga for a year.

Patta said union leaders in Germany remain committed to helping the UAW create a German-style works council in Chattanooga to represent VW workers.

“We want a works council, an American works council,” Patta said. “This is our joint vision. This is our dream.”

Patta repeated claims by UAW officials that the election in Chattanooga was “stolen,” from the workers.

“Volkswagen behaved fairly and behaved neutrally,” Patta said. “The conservatives and anti-union forces toyed with the fears…they said if you vote for UAW, jobs would be in danger…So in the end fear mongering won the election.”